A company provides you with a lump sum in exchange for partial ownership of your home, and/or a share of its future appreciation. You don't make monthly repayments of principal or interest; instead, you settle up when you sell the home or at the end of a multi-year agreement period (typically between 10 and 30 years).
These agreements let you access funds in exchange for a share of your property's future appreciation. Some or all of the mortgage lenders featured on our site are advertising partners of NerdWallet, but this does not influence our evaluations, lender star ratings or the order in which lenders are listed on the page.
Equity agreements commonly contain the following components: Equity program. This section outlines the details of the investment plan, including its purpose, conditions, and objectives. It also serves as a statement of intention to create a legal relationship between both parties.
Location. Your property must be located in a state served by Unlock: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia or Washington state.
Qualifying for a HEA is relatively easy, too. The main requirement is to have built up some equity in your property. You don't need a super high credit score, and the income criteria are flexible.
Let's say your home has an appraised value of $250,000, and you enter into a contract with one of the home equity agreement companies on the market. They agree to provide a lump sum of $25,000 in exchange for 10% of your home's appreciation. If you sell the house for $250,000, the HEA company is entitled to $25,000.
Average HELOC rates by market Your potential HELOC rate also depends on where your home is located. As of January 1, 2025, the current average HELOC interest rate in the 10 largest U.S. markets is 8.36 percent.